Back to School Giveaway

  

Soon our kids are heading back to school (woohoo!!) but in the meanwhile, we need to spice up their education by engaging them in fun activities at home that will kick start them back into school mode. MamatheFox teamed up with some amazing brands who want to offer you the chance to win some of their products! Come back daily to increase your chances of winning this amazing giveaway.  

Open to US residents only - Over $145 in prizes

 Hosted by: MamatheFox

Co-Hosted by: Reviewz and Newz, Parenting Healthy, Miki's Hope, Tabby's Pantry & Sunshine and Roller Coasters 

One person will win:

• Thames and Kosmos - I Dig It! Dinos - T. Rex Excavation Kit - RV $12.95
  • Play the role of a paleontologist and excavate a replica of a dinosaur fossil relief all by yourself. Use the hammer and chisel to go on a hunt for Tyrannosaurus rex, the dangerous prehistoric giant. Excavate the skeleton relief from the surrounding soft plaster block. The kit includes the skeleton relief buried in a plaster block, excavation tools, and a descriptive manual.

1. 

• My Gnome on the Roam - RV $29.97
  • What if one little gnome and one tiny suitcase could change your family? My Gnome on the Roam ® is more than just a children’s book and adventure kit, it's a suitcase full of memories waiting to be unpacked. It’s an invitation to explore, create and connect with your family. It's a glitter and glue covered revolution and a toy and book with a mission…designed to help create stronger, happier kids, and more present and connected adults.

• Catch and Learn by PlaSmart - RV $9.99
  • The Catch and Learn by PlaSmart is now available on Amazon. The educational game where you fish for answers. The learning possibilities are endless. Comes with retractable magnetic fish catcher, 10 dry-erase fish cards and marker. Teaches math, spelling, grammar, shapes, and colors. Learn by playing described games, or invent your own. Just press the button to retract the worm and reel in your answers. Helps develop fine motor skills. Promotes confidence and self-esteem. Two or more players; one can be a teacher or parent. Age 4+ years. Meets all ASTM, CPSC, and EN71 safety standards

   

• Mr Bucket by Pressman Toys - RV $21.99
  • Mr. Bucket is the original moving chasing racing action game.
  • Get ready for buckets of fun with Mr. Bucket by Pressman Toy! Scoop up the balls that match your colored shovel and drop the balls into Mr. Bucket as he whirls and spins around the floor. Watch out – Mr. Bucket will try to block your ball with his hands and will even spit the balls right back out of his mouth onto the floor, creating tons of laughter and fun! Get all three of your colored balls inside Mr. Bucket first to win! Made with high quality materials, Mr. Bucket is the original moving chasing racing action game and will have kids up and moving around. Can you scoop up all your color balls and place them back into Mr. Bucket before he pops them out again? For 2 to 4 players, ages 3 and up.

• Pop The Pig Game by Goliath Games - RV $24.99
  • Pop the Pig was the top-selling preschool game in 2016 and 2017 according to retailer sales data collected by NPD!
  • Players take turns rolling the die, feeding the pig, and pushing down on his head. Each pump makes his belly grow bigger, bigger, and bigger until... POP!

 

• Personalized Book from Snowflake Stories (choice of either The Big Soccer Game or Dance Recital . - RV$45
  • Not your average personalized children's book!
    * Select your entire cast of characters:
    1 special child + (up to) 5 loved ones
    * Customize the appearance of each character:
    Choose skin color, hairstyle, hair color and more
    * Add 1-2 of 5 languages:
    English, Spanish, Portuguese, French & Italian

     

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Chicken Deli growth spurs partnership renewal with Pepsi Philippines

Val is a big chicken inasal fan. I remember when we were still in Manila, one of our go-to places was the newly opened Chicken Deli branch in Ayala Fairview Terraces. The food is delicious yet very affordable. Not to mention they also serve unlimited rice. 

During Val's 30th birthday, we celebrated it with family and friends by enjoying the authentic  Chicken Inasal plus other local favorites such as Kare-Kare and Pork Sisig. Thus, we consider Chicken Deli a significant part of the life of an ordinary Filipino like us.  

So, when we arrived in Bacolod in 2015 -- we were actually surprised that this humble family diner is big in the City of Smiles. We had no idea that the restaurant actually originated here in Bacolod and we are very happy and proud of the success of our favorite inasal restaurant. 

Now on its 35th year, Chicken Inasal is celebrating a renewed partnership with bottling firm, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc., (PCPPI) the "Bidang Inasal ng Bacolod" restaurant will continue its aggressive expansion, serving their unique authentic chicken Inasal partnered with Pepsi products across their channel of almost 50 stores nationwide.

According to RC Ciocon Jr., Director for the LC Group of companies, "This is the collaboration of two very reliable brands with parallel missions and visions to reach. Chicken Deli and PCPPI have similar Corporate Social Responsibility platforms sharing the same dedication to service and love for the environment." The partnership came naturally as both companies shared common advocacies in excellent business practices and serving their communities. 

Chicken Deli plans to expand its business to 150 - 200 stores in the next five years through business evolution, franchising, and strategic corporate partnership--all while maintaining the original chicken Inasal recipe that made them famous.

"Back when Chicken Deli was set only in Bacolod, PCPPI's Bacolod plant was exclusively distributing our products to their restaurants," said PCPPI Senior General Manager Lyndon Cuadra. "Now with Chicken Deli's nationwide presence and today's partnership renewal, the company has become our modern trade partner and key account to be serviced by different plants across the country."

(L-R) PCPPI General Manager for Bacolod, Delfin Dizon; PCPPI Senior General Manager, Lyndon Cuadra; PCPPI Head of National Sales, Domingo Almazan; LC Group Director RC Ciocon Jr.; LC Group Chief Operations Officer, Danilo Pumarega; LC Group Director, Malou Granada

Spicing up the food industry

Chicken Deli opened franchising opportunities to local entrepreneurs in 2011 and has since appealed to businessmen that in the seven years that followed, the number of franchises across the country more than tripled against its 12 company-owned stores.

In the beginning, its founder and the Ciocon family matriarch, Mamang planned to settle Chicken Deli's lone store solely in Bacolod to keep the authenticity of her signature heirloom recipe. With locals and tourists making a visit to the restaurant a habit, it eventually sought to expand the business by opening more stores in the Visayas region and seeking franchise partners.

Mamang opted to cook Inasal through the long process of manually marinating the meat, then cooking it fresh as opposed to pre-cooking before storage followed by hasty preparation. Upholding integrity in their service as demonstrated by his grandmother, Ciocon underlined that it was this same quality they were looking for from franchisees.

"People often think as long as they have the money, they will be viable to franchise the business, but we are looking for partners who are deeply committed to and involved with their business on a daily or at least weekly basis," he said.

A third-generation owner of the restaurant, Ciocon highlighted evolving the business while staying true to its roots as a primary focus in appealing to the bigger market they now have. Apart from opening franchising opportunities, Chicken Deli has structured operations through the support of their commissaries in Bacolod and Manila.

"We also invest in our people," Ciocon said. "One of our challenges in the past was finding the right talent to employ, but we eventually built a system which preferred hiring fresh graduates and investing in their training through a comprehensive and continuous program throughout their employment."

Also in the business of caring for their surrounding community, Chicken Deli expressed their anticipation of partnering with PCPPI for Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the region and nationwide. Noting the bottling firm's recent programs for environmental preservation like tree planting and estero clean-ups, as well as social drives such as feeding programs and gift giving for children during December, Ciocon is optimistic that the partnership will be able to achieve more than business prosperity.

"We officially welcome Pepsi as one of our valuable partners, and I am confident we will help each other thrive through a continued successful and mutually beneficial partnership."

About PEPSI PHILIPPINES

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) is the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages & snacks in the Philippines, with a relationship spanning 70 years. PCPPI is a listed company in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE: PIP) with Lotte Chilsung, one of the biggest beverage companies in South Korea as the lead shareholder co-managing with PepsiCo. PCPPI manufactures and sells well-known food and beverage brands: Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Tropicana, Lipton, Sting, Premier, Sips, Milkis, Let’s Be, Aquafina, and Cheetos. It has established 14 manufacturing facilities across the country, serving more than 700,000 outlets and providing employment through its extensive distribution network.

PCPPI is committed to creating a positive impact on society with programs focused on environmental sustainability, nutrition, education, and livelihood. For more information, visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.

#GrowOldWithMyDog: 4 Things You Should Never Feed Your Dog

We are starting a new blog series called #GrowOldWithMyDog. It will feature stories about responsible pet ownership, tips on how to properly take care of them as well as fun and exciting experiences of being a dog parent. 

Just a heads up -- I am not an expert nor a licensed veterinarian but rest assured that we will be sharing only information from reliable sources including my personal experience as a fur parent to my 13-year old Maltese, Crumpy, my adopted Shih Tzu, Cheesecake and my little 1.5-year-old furball, Cinderella. 

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For our first post, we will be sharing about the 4 Things that We Should Never Feed Our Dogs. 

Experts say that dogs grow much faster than humans and thus, it is ideal that they get the sufficient amount of nutrients through specific nutrition made for them (a.k.a. dog food) However, whether we admit it or not, there are times that we can't help but share our table food with them especially when you are eating and you see those little puppy eyes begging for food. 

As a fur parent, I end up so heartbroken if I don't share. Most of the time, I just say that I am going to give them just a little slice/ piece. But I learned that some human food is just highly toxic for them and thus for these 4 things ----  it is definitely a NO. 

4 Things that We Should Never Feed Our Dogs

1. Chocolates - This may be considered a good source of antioxidants for human beings but unfortunately, chocolates are highly poisonous for dogs and other animals. It may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures. In the worst cases, it can even lead to cardiac failure, death or coma.  

2. Grapes and Raisins - According to PetMD, grapes, and raisin (dried grapes) toxicity is well documented in dogs. Although the exact substance that causes the toxic reaction is not yet known, dogs should not eat grapes and raisins because even small amounts can prove to be fatally toxic for them. Don't forget to check your pastries if they contain this. 

3. Garlic and Onion - This is one of the most common toxic food unconsciously given to our pets since due to its small size. When deciding on what food to give, we should keep in mind the ingredients present. In this case, garlic flavored adobo, fried garlic rice, garlic chicken wings, onion rings are a big no-no for our dogs. 

4. Chicken Bones - I grew up believing that dogs should be fed with bones, however, after watching videos on youtube about pet emergencies, I realized that not all bones are good for dogs. Smaller ones like chicken bones can pose serious choking hazards for them. Also, our dogs have the tendency to swallow them immediately and these sharp edges when not chewed properly can actually hurt their internal organs and intestine lining. 

So, if you are feeding them chicken, please take time to remove the bones before giving it to them. 

How about you? Do you know other food that our dogs should avoid? Feel free to share them on the comments section below. 

P.S. Were you able to redeem your free Pedigree goodies? Check this link to know how. 

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Start Reading Magazines Again

With everything going digital, I can't help but miss the feel and excitement whenever I get a new printed copy of a book or the latest issue of my favorite magazine. I remember spending most of my school allowance on Seventeen, BOP, and Cosmo. The new information and the latest updates and trends that I get from reading was definitely worth every penny. 

Unfortunately, when they started creating websites and making all the content available online, I no longer found the reason to grab my favorite magazines. Instead, I just read its digital copies. It was free and convenient.  

However this 2018 -- I discovered Southwall Magazine during its launch in Bacolod last July 17 at the Gallery Orange and I have found all the reasons why I should start my magazine subscription again. 

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Start Reading Magazines Again

1. Southwall Magazine has a great layout with really nice glossy pages. It has the same feel and vibrant pictures that I have always loved. I can imagine myself reading one while enjoying a cup of tea on a Saturday afternoon. 

2. You can relate to it. The magazine is focused on the best that southern living has to offer. For someone who is residing in Visayas, it is our joy to see and read about the things we love about our place. It is our pride to share what we have.  

3. They feature "real" people with really inspiring and amazing accomplishments. Just like in its sophomore issue, the magazine's cover featured no other than Bacolod's very own,  Mr. Jonathan Lo, the CEO of CM & Sons Food Products, Inc., makers of our favorite Merzci pasalubong products.  

They also featured other eminent male business and community leaders in the south such as Richard Gomez, John and Bunny Pages, Derek Hytian, Henrik Yu, Jason Atherton and Leo Locsin Jr. 

4. It is made with love and the content is curated well. Since Southwall Magazine started as a passion project in 2005, readers can expect great content that showcases a resplendent line-up of important personages, noteworthy luminaries and the best that the southern scene can offer. The Southwall Magazine is available quarterly starting February 2018. 

5. Lastly, it is very affordable. It was such a surprise that this glossy 120+ pages magazine only costs Php 200 per issue. Definitely, a steal! 

So, if you also like to start reading magazines again -- you can order a subscription by contacting (032) 4140736 or by sending them an email at info.southwall@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.